Spinning Effect Optical Illusion

Move toward and away from the screen while staying focused on the red dot.

Notice that the outer rings seem to rotate or spin when you move toward or away from the screen.

Explanation

We look at this optical illusion and see the shading, sizing and position of the circles. When we move closer or farther away, the diameter of the circles and their ratio to each other change but we try to keep them the same.

The shading in this optical illusion adds to the confusion. The shading does not make sense. We cannot determine what direction the light source comes from. We try to reposition the circles to be logical, but we can’t.